Rural areas need more building officials

Thunder Bay - So you've finally saved up enough money to build that dream garage you've always wanted. Now you just need to get the paperwork done.

If you live in the city, finding a building inspector and getting permits is usually not a big deal. But in rural areas where there's a shortage of inspectors, the necessary paperwork may not be so easy to come by.

To address the shortage, the Ontario Ministry of Rural Affairs recently made regulatory changes to make it easier for qualified building officials from Manitoba to work in the province.

"This initiative aims to address staffing shortages in municipal building departments, particularly in Northwestern Ontario," ministry spokesperson Morgan Mattern said this week.

Mattern added that the federal and provincial governments are also in discussions to "streamline and harmonize building official qualifications across Canada."

In the meantime, rural towns near Thunder Bay seem to be dealing with the inspector shortage through contracting or other means.

Erika Kromm, clerk and treasurer for the Township of Neebing, said her municipality doesn't issue enough permits each year to justify a full-time position.

"We've hired a municipal inspector who can work for us on a part-time basis," Kromm said Friday.

In Shuniah, its chief building official "also serves as an inspector for the City of Thunder Bay," said Paul Greenwood, Shuniah's chief administrative officer.

"Historically, retaining building inspection services has been a challenge for small rural communities," Greenwood added.

"Shuniah is fortunate to have these contracted services to protect the health and safety of the public in new building construction."

Lorna Boudreau, chief administrative officer for the Township of O'Connor, said her municipality has appointed a chief building official, but not on a full-time basis. Boudreau said the hours depend on the demand for permits.

Another option is job sharing. Sheila Maxwell, mayor of the Township of Conmee, said her township shares building inspection services "with neighbouring municipalities."

Meanwhile, qualified building officials from Manitoba considering a move to Ontario need not panic: the deadline to apply for the equivalency assessment that would allow them to work here is the end of 2026.

Applicants can apply for the Ontario equivalency assessment by email: [email protected].

Source: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/more-building-officials-needed-in-rural-areas-10133218